A driver assesses damage Monday, March 3, 2014, after a wreck on Interstate 30, west of University Avenue in Little Rock, involved multiple vehicles including four tractor-trailers and a state Highway Department sand truck.

Only essential personnel were to report to state offices, and school districts across the state, including Little Rock, North Little Rock and Pulaski County, called off classes. Click here for a full list.

Entergy said crews were working at 10 a.m. to restore power to nearly 27,000 customers who lost electricity in the storm. More than 9,600 of those power failures were in Phillips County, and more than 5,600 were in Crittenden County.

The utility said about 2,600 crew members were working in the state to restore power.

A winter storm warning that had been in effect expired overnight and no further accumulating precipitation was expected. But the National Weather Service issued a wind-chill advisory for much of the state, noting values as low as 5 degrees below zero were possible in parts of Arkansas.

"A wind chill advisory means that very cold air and strong winds will combine to generate low wind chills," the agency said in a statement. "This will result in frost bite and lead to hypothermia if precautions are not taken."

The Salvation Army said it has opened a warming center at 1111 W. Markham St. and was expecting heavy traffic because some other resources, including the city's Day Resource Center, did not open Monday.

Despite the cold air, some improvements in road conditions were expected as the day continued. Temperatures across all but far southern Arkansas were expected to stay below freezing, but the clouds should clear and the sun will help melt icy areas, said Weather Service meteorologist Sean Clarke.

"That will help out an OK amount," he said, noting the winds Monday will help dry roadways too. "We can expect some gradual clearing."

Temperatures in the coming days will increase somewhat, reaching the mid-30s in central Arkansas Tuesday and 60 by Friday.

But that warm-up isn't necessarily the final end to Arkansas's long, cold winter.

"That would be nice," Clarke said. "It's hard to say for sure. But there could be some other chances [for colder air]. It looks like this pattern is going to hold tight for us. Not quite out of the woods yet."